Lisner

Fri. Sep 3, 8:00PM
Airmen of Note
The United States Air Force Band presents

Free and open to the public


Jazz Heritage Series
This concert will feature several Airmen of Note alumni and is part of the ensemble's 60th Anniversary Celebration.


Sat. Sep 4, 8:00PM
KanKouran West African Dance Company
KanKouran presents:

$30.00 ; $25 for seniors, children 16 & under and students w/ valid ID
Tickets available at all TicketMaster Outlets, Blue Nile Trading Co. (202) 232-3535, Salon Obsessions (301) 565-4247, and Hair Studio (703) 769-9288
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150044F3D4929028?Kan
Circle of Praise: Blessings! Concert
Part of KanKouran's 27th Annual National African Dance and Drum Conference in honor of Dr. Sherill Berryman-Johnson.


Sun. Sep 26, 7:00PM
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $30, $35 GW Students and Alumni: $5, $10 at the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, TicketMaster Outlets, PhoneCharge (202) 397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004502C7BC854D?artistid=1409389&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=107

One of Canada's most prominent virtuoso violinists, Angèle Dubeau has performed on the world's greatest stages in a spectacular career that has spanned more than thirty years and over thirty countries. Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà is a string ensemble for piano uniquely composed of women, bringing together some of the finest musicians in Canada. They are known for their exceptional virtuosity and impeccable precision, their rich interpretations, but above all the contagious happiness that enlivens their stage presence.

About the program:

Historically, the violin was often the instrument of choice for peoples suffering from persecution. The violin’s versatility made it an attractive instrument in klezmer and gypsy folk music and traditional music around the world—music that was revisited by composers such as Bela Bartok, Aaron Copland, Gustav Holst, and others.

 




Wed. Sep 29, 7:00PM
President Jimmy Carter Reflects on His White House Years
Smithsonian Resident Associates Program presents

Public: $35; GW Students: $15 (on sale soon!)
Tickets available from the Smithsonian ticket window on the National Mall, (202) 633-3030, or online at www.residentassociates.org
http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=220753
Evening Lecture

Jimmy Carter served as the 39th president of the United States from Jan. 20, 1977, to Jan. 20, 1981. Foreign policy accomplishments during his administration include the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.

On the domestic side, his administration’s achievements include a comprehensive energy program conducted by the new Department of Energy; major educational programs under the new Department of Education; and important environmental protection legislation.

Each day during his presidency, he made several entries in a private diary, recording his thoughts, impressions, delights, and frustrations. He offered unvarnished assessments of cabinet members, members of Congress, and foreign leaders, and narrated the progress of secret negotiations. Tonight, President Carter reflects on his entries to this diary. White House Diary is available for signing after the program




Fri. Oct 1, 8:00PM
Airmen of Note
The United States Air Force Band presents

Free and open to the public


Jazz Heritage Series



Sat. Oct 2, 8:00PM
The Canadian Tenors
Birchmere presents

$45; GW Students and alumni: $35 at Lisner Box Office
Lisner Box Office, Ticketmaster Outlets, 202-397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/172067?canadian

The Canadian Tenors' music is an exciting blend of classical and contemporary pop that is thrilling audiences of all ages. The Tenors are the incredibly powerful voices of four gifted young men with diverse vocal styles, undeniable charm and international success. Featured recently on Oprah, Dr. Phil and their home country's Olympic games, this music will lift you up and take you away to a special place.


Mon. Oct 4, 8:00PM
David Sedaris
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$40, $45; GW Students: $20, $25 at the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, TicketMaster Outlets, PhoneCharge (202) 397-SEAT
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Lisner-Auditorium-tickets-Washington/venue/172067?Sedaris

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, NakedMe Talk Pretty One DayDress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, each of which became a bestseller.

His newest book, a collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (with illustrations by Ian Falconer), will be published September 2010.  David Sedaris’s original radio pieces can often be heard on This American Life.




Sat. Oct 9, 8:00PM
Mavis Staples & Bettye LaVette
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1500451389BC3534?artistid=1115475&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=202

Two soul powerhouses share the stage for one night only:

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and soul/gospel legend Mavis Staples delivers wall-to-wall joy on her triumphant new album, You Are Not Alone. Produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, the album features the iconic singer at her most powerful and fervent. You Are Not Alone mixes traditional gospel numbers with two new songs written for Mavis by Tweedy, plus her unique interpretations of songs by Pops Staples, Randy Newman, Allen Toussaint, John Fogerty, Rev. Gary Davis and Little Milton.


After four decades toiling in the record business with little more than a fervent cult following to show for it, "the Great Lady of Soul"  Bettye LaVette is finally enjoying her hard-earned spotlight. In high-profile performances at Obama's inaugural concert and the Kennedy Center Honors, as well as on albums such as Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook and The Scene of the Crime, LaVette serves as a forceful, timely reminder that soul thrives on the singer and not the song - she doesn't so much cover songs as reinvent them from the inside out.




Tue. Oct 12, 7:00PM
Sam Harris - The Moral Landscape
The Center for Inquiry DC presents

Public: $10 ($30 with book), CFI Friend: $5 ($23 with book)
Tickets available from Lisner Box Office, Ticketmaster Outlets, and 202-397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150044DE8F933D82

Questions of good and evil, right and wrong are commonly thought unanswerable by science. But in his new book The Moral Landscape , Harris argues that science can -- and should -- be an authority on moral issues, shaping human values and setting out what constitutes a good life.

An outspoken proponent of skepticism and science, his two books -- The End of Faith and its follow-up Letter to a Christian Nation -- have become New York Times bestsellers. Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. Mr. Harris' writing has been published in over ten languages. He and his work have been discussed in Newsweek, TIME, The New York Times, Scientific American, Rolling Stone, and many other journals. 

"Read Sam Harris and wake up." --Richard Dawkins

To receive priority seating, discounted admission, and a discount off the list price of  The Moral Landscape  become a Friend of the Center

  • Friends of the Center Registration: $5
  • Friends of the Center Registration incl. The Moral Landscape book: $23
  • Public Registration: $10
  • Public Registration incl. The Moral Landscape book: $30

All proceeds benefit the Center for Inquiry DC. All books purchased online will be available at will call.




Fri. Oct 15, 8:00PM
Cinematic Titanic
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35; GW Students and Alumni: $10, $20 at the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, TicketMaster Outlets, PhoneCharge (202) 397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150044FBACE64ADC?artistid=1368329&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=51
From the creator and cast of Mystery Science Theatre 3000

"The original MST3K gang doing what they do best - verbally ripping apart films that never should have been made in the first place" - Time Out Chicago

"Consistently and unfailingly funny" - The Washington Post

Continuing the tradition of riffing on the unfathomable, the horribly great, and the just plain cheesy movies from the past, Cinematic Titanic Live brings the original creator and cast of the Peabody award winning cult-classic television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) to a live theatrical setting.

The cast will riff on the 1968 Japanese sci-fi thriller War of the Insects (aka Genocide, aka Konchu Daisenso). In this rarely seen and poorly dubbed film, a plane carrying an atomic bomb is attacked by a new strain of killer bees - the project of a crazed scientist seeking world domination.

Created by Joel Hodgson and featuring the same team that first brought MST3K to life: Trace Beaulieu, J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff, and Mary Jo Pehl.

Note: Content is comparable to the PG-13 category of MPAA ratings

Read more on Cinematic Titanic from The Washington Post

 




Sun. Oct 24, 6:00PM
Washington Concert Opera - Adriana Lecouvreur


TBA
Season subscription form available from http://concertopera.org

In Italian with projected English translations.

Francesco Cilea's thrilling masterpiece is a story of love, betrayal, jealousy, even poisoned violets! It's the stuff of operas with some of the most gorgeous opera music ever written and it showcases the myriad talents of two of our WCO audience favorites and the debut of a newcomer destined to achieve imminent stardom.

Featuring tenor James Valenti (Maurizio), Mary Elizabeth Williams (Adriana), Mezzo soprano Elizabeth Bishop (Princess de Bouillon), and baritone Donnie Ray Albert (Michonnet.)




Fri. Nov 5, 8:00PM
Airmen of Note
The United States Air Force Band presents

Free and open to the public


Jazz Heritage Series



Sat. Nov 6, 8:00PM
Omara Portuondo
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004512CF684525?artistid=765206&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=40
Grammy-winning member of Buena Vista Social Club

"The queen of Caribbean vocalists" - Los Angeles Times

With a career spanning over 60 years, Cuban songstress Omara Portuondo returns to DC for the first time in almost 10 years. After rising to fame and concocting her first tunes with the Las D'Aida quartet, Portuondo became one of the most highly esteemed solo singers of her country during the 1970s and the 1980s. However, it wasn't until the Buena Vista Social Club project saw the light of day that she was able to achieve justifiable widespread fame along with other major figures of popular music from her country including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González and Compay Segundo.

Her latest album Gracias was recorded in Havana with contributions from such names as Avishai Cohen, Trilok Gurtu, Chico Buarque and Chucho Valdés, and includes the songs Omara has always longed to sing.




Sat. Nov 13, 8:00PM
Sarah Vowell
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35; GW Students and Alumni: $15, $20 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, TicketMaster Outlets, PhoneCharge (202) 397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150044AAA1C38B80

From the bestselling author of The Wordy Shipmates and Assassination Vacation comes an examination of Hawaii, the place where Manifest Destiny got a sunburn.

Sarah Vowell will read from her upcoming book Unfamiliar Fishes (available Spring 2011). With Vowell’s trademark smart-alecky insights and reporting, she lights out to discover the odd, emblematic and exceptional history of the fiftieth state and in so doing finds America, warts and all.

Vowell is also a contributing editor for public radio’s This American Life, and provided the voice for Violet in Pixar's The Incredibles.



Fri. Nov 19, 8:00PM
Bill Burr
Live Nation presents

$27.50; GW Students: $22 at the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, TicketMaster Outlets, PhoneCharge (202) 397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Bill-Burr-tickets/artist/961318

Bill Burr is an American comedian or a comedian from the North American Union, depending on when you read this.  He grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts and did fairly poorly in school, despite the fact that he applied himself.

Having first gained notoriety for his recurring role on the second season of "Chappelle's Show," Burr developed a comedic style of uninformed logic that has made him a regular on the "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."  On September 18, Bill will star in his second hour Comedy Central special, Bill Burr: Let It Go. 

This fall Bill will tour theaters across the country with the new show, "Bill Burr: You People Are All The Same."  Bill premiered the new show in July with a critically-acclaimed week-long run at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.

Bill can be seen in the Steve Carell & Tina Fey feature, "Date Night," and his "Monday Morning Podcast," an off-the-cuff weekly rant that has become a fan favorite.  He is preparing to shoot a pilot for Comedy Central that will co-star friend and fellow comedian Kevin Hart.  Hopefully it will get picked up and they will both go on to earn millions.  (Bill has requested that he gets paid in gold and acreage in Western Wyoming.)



Fri. Dec 17, 8:00PM
Sat. Dec 18, 3:00PM - 8:00PM

Sun. Dec 19, 3:00PM
Gay Men's Chorus of Washington - Men in Tights: A Pink Nutcracker


TBA
Season subscriptions available at http://gmcw.org.


This holiday fantasia arrives complete with the Sugar Plum Fairy, lots of vodka and, of course, sexy men in tights. GMCW revives its popular take-off of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker Suite, set to a wonderland of choral singing.


Sat. Mar 5, 8:00PM
Post-Classical Ensemble
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45, $55; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004519DFCA50B2?PCE
Sublime Confluence: The Music of Lou Harrison

"The Post-Classical Ensemble may be the most thought-provoking music group in town .... Their performances can be demanding - but they're invariably beautiful, and never dull."
- The Washington Post

American composer Lou Harrison's music is original and sometimes exotic but never esoteric, forbidding, or severe. Drawing on an array of non-Western and pre-Baroque influences, it confounds conventional "classical music" expectations. It asks that we listen with open ears and an open mind. No special preparation is required-just a willingness to "switch channels."

The evening includes the D.C. premiere of the Harrison Piano Concerto and features pianists Benjamin Pasternack and Lisa Moore, the Wesleyan University Gamelan, the George Washington University Chorus, and film clips from Eva Soltes’ documentary Lou Harrison: A World of Music.

The program will include (subject to change):

Javanese Gamelan music
Harrison: Concerto for piano and Javanese Gamelan
Harrison: Strict Songs for chorus and orchestra
Harrison: Piano Concerto



Thur. Mar 10, 8:00PM
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45, $55; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004512D4E3486F?artistid=734247&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=5

For more than forty years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has married the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape. Their musical efforts over the past four decades have garnered praise and accolades within the recording industry, but also solidified their identity as a cultural force to be reckoned with.

"It isn't merely the grace and power of their dancing or the beauty of their singing that rivets the attention, but the sheer joy and love that emanates from their being." - Paul Simon 




Sun. Mar 13, 7:00PM
Paco Peña presents Flamenco Vivo
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45, $55; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004519DD77505C?artistid=756687&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=5

"Peña and his troupe of singers, dancers, and musicians exude a powerful magnetism that gleams with vitality." - The Age

As guitarist, composer, dramatist, producer and artistic mentor, Paco Peña embodies both the authenticity and innovation in flamenco and has transformed perceptions of this archetypal Spanish art form. Since 1970 Paco Peña has performed regularly with his own hand-picked company of dancers, guitarists and singers in a succession of groundbreaking shows proving that the soul of flamenco lies in the authentic expression of emotions through music and dance.


Fri. Mar 25, 8:00PM
Gal Costa
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45, $50; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004512DA4B4942?artistid=734184&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=40
Brazilian vocal legend
One of the visionaries of modern Brazilian music, vocalist Gal Costa's recordings helped launch Brazil's Tropicália movement in the late 1960s. Her career spans four decades, dozens of solo releases and millions of records sold. Songs by composers Caetano Veloso, Antonio Carlos Jobim and others were first made famous on Costa's albums.


Sat. Mar 26, 8:00PM
Jil Aigrot
GW Lisner Auditorium and Alliance Francaise de Washington present

Tickets: $25, $35, $45 GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004512F4E94E13?Aigrot
An Evening of French Song

French vocalist Jil Aigrot masterfully breathes new life into the cherished classics of her native country in a new program, including the songs of Édith PiafJacques Brel, and Charles Aznavour. Her interpretations of the work of Edith Piaf as the singing voice in the acclaimed movie La Vie En Rose and on the concert stage have resulted in worldwide acclaim.

"Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her remarkable portrayal of French chanteuse Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. But there's another amazing Piaf performance in the movie, and it's delivered by someone you never see: French vocalist Jil Aigrot"- Newsweek

 




Sat. Apr 2, 8:00PM
Ira Glass
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$40, $50; GW Students and Alumni: $20 at the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, TicketMaster Outlets, PhoneCharge (202) 397-SEAT.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1500450AF04D4F76?artistid=806149&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=53
Radio on the TV: Stories about This American Life, the television show

Ira Glass will talk about what he and his staff learned about making This American Life for television over two years, and why they stopped. Beautiful, moving, and funny stories on the big screen.

Ira Glass is the host and producer of the public radio program This American Life, which is heard on more than 500 public radio stations each week by over 1.8 million listeners.

In 2001, Time magazine named Glass "Best Radio Host in America." In March 2007, the television adaptation of This American Life premiered on Showtime to great critical acclaim, winning 3 Emmy Awards.




Thur. Apr 7, 8:00PM
Acoustic Africa
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

$25, $35, $45; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004513808D27CE?artistid=1040611&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=5
Featuring Habib Koité, Oliver

The richness of the African guitar tradition is the focus of this Acoustic Africa tour. Featuring: Habib Koité, the Malian superstar whose exciting concerts have endeared him to audiences worldwide, Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi, the best-selling artist in his home country of Zimbabwe, and Afel Bocoum, a guitarist, singer, and composer from Mali whose songs evoke the evolution of traditional Malian society.

One of Africa’s most exciting performers, Habib Koite plays music that reflects the diverse musical traditions of his Malian homeland. Accompanied by his band Bamada, Koite has released a number of successful and critically acclaimed albums and has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and in major magazines such as People and Rolling Stone.

Lovingly called “Tuku”, Oliver Mtukudzi began recording in the mid-1970s as a member of Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo. After Wagon Wheels rolled to fame in Southern Africa, Tuku formed Black Spirits, the band that has backed him throughout his career. Mtukudzi has been heavily influenced by chimurenga, the genre pioneered by Mapfumo that is inspired by the hypnotic rhythms of the mbira (thumb piano). His music also incorporates pop influences, South Africa mbaqanga, the energetic Zimbabwean pop style JIT, and the traditional kateke drumming of his clan, the Korekore. 

Afel Bocoum began his music career with his uncle Ali Farka Toure in the group Asco, a collaboration which lasted some thirty years. In the 1980s, he founded his own group named Alkibar, in which he plays the guitar, sings, and composes. Bocoum sings mainly in Sonrai, his mother tongue, but also in Tamashek, the language of the Tuareg, and in Bambara. In spite of his growing success, Bocoum remains gentle and unassuming, modestly directing the energy this recognition brings him towards the welfare of his people and the inspiration they give to his music.




Fri. Apr 29, 8:00PM
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas
GW Lisner Auditorium presents

Tickets: $25, $30, $35; GW Students and Alumni: $15 from the Lisner Box Office
Tickets available from the Lisner Box Office, 202-397-SEAT, and Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1500451397713D4C?Munequitos

"The reigning regents of rumba" - San Francisco Chronicle

After nine years, Cuban legends Los Muñequitos de Matanzas return to the U.S. with the brand new program Tambor de Fuego, featuring work from their latest recording, tributes to legendary members and new pieces created especially for this eagerly awaited tour.

Los Muñequitos are amongst the highest regarded percussionists in the world and masters of Afro-Cuban ritual and rumba music and dance. Founded in 1952, the group currently spans three generations of an extended family of musicians, singers and dancers.



The George Washington University Lisner Auditorium
730 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Tel: (202) 994-6800
FAX: (202) 994-6906
lisner.org